How to Book Train Travel From Yichang to Shanghai

Shanghai is a major transporation and commerce center of China and a global port on the Yangtze River. While Shanghai represents everything modern about China, the preservation of Chinese traditions and culture are still evident in its people, architecture and performing arts.

Things You'll Need

• Passport and appropriate visa
• Computer with Internet access to book train travel reservations

Instructions

Book Your Train Travel From Yichang to Shanghai

1. Visit the Web site for the China National Tourist Office (see Resources below). You won't be booking your train travel from this site, but you will use it to find out which trains service this route at any given time.

2. Scan the page until you see ''Trains Depart and Arrive Shanghai'' (about halfway down the page). Now look for the ''Yichang--Shanghai'' link and click on it.

3. Note that the K251/K254 leaves Yichang for Shanghai. Write this information down. This train is usually listed second, the first train being the reverse route.

4. Open the Web site for China Trip Advisor (see Resources below). This is the site you will be booking your train travel with. You can also call them at 011 (+86) [phone].

5. Go to the ''Help Desk'' link from the menu at the top right of the page and open it. This will launch a web-based form to be sent via email.

6. Complete the inquiry form, including your departure and destination cities, the approximate date you wish to travel and the train numbers you previously wrote down. If there is another train available at the time, the staff will alert you to the fact.

7. Submit the completed form and wait for a response. You should receive an email from a China Trip Advisor agent within a day. This email will inform you of your Yichang travel options, cost and reservation requirements.

Tips & Warnings

• Book online for the greatest convenience and the widest array of options.

• The trip is only about 6 hours, so you can book a soft seat for reasonable comfort at very reasonable prices. Hard seats are even cheaper, but they're often oversold and you may find yourself competing for a seat.

• You may want to visit the ''loo'' before boarding the train and limit your liquid intake on the trip. Both the hard and soft seat sections can get crowded and the condition of the public toilets can deteriorate quickly. Note that the train does not provide toilet paper either.

• If you have any special dietary requirements, then plan to bring some food or snacks along. The only food served on the train is Chinese cuisine and the menu selection is somewhat limited.

• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally from outside the United States, check which prefix to use. All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.